Dropping Back

Upward Salute, an opening backbend-- the first of many backbends leading to my  dropback

Working on my Urdhva Dhanurasana dropback and realizing what this movement really entails has brought me down to earth about advanced poses and their implications. Being able to do advanced poses is not just found in the Annamaya Kosha (the physical body sheath) alone, but rather begins in the progression of poses and expands through all the layers.

Let me take a moment to explain what I know about sheaths or koshas. Each of us beings are made up of these layers, each leading on to the deeper sense of the self. So, as one would imagine the koshas begin on the outer layer, which consists of your physical body, the Annamaya Kosha. This is where many people begin their yoga practice, and where many people stay. Yoga feels good to the body. But as we are divine, our being is more than skin and bone. We are energy. When we accept this we are chosen to deal with the next layer/s of our beings.

The second kosha is the Pranamaya kosha. At this layer ones’ focus is breath through energy. One recognizes their vibration and possibly begins to make necessary eye-opening changes, deepening and lengthening the breath, for example. Then, the Manamaya kosha, the mental layer where thoughts and emotions are felt and directed. The Vijnanamaya kosha, the layer containing the healthy dose of wisdom accumulated from living life is next. Anandamaya kosha, bliss, and lastly, Atman, that which is self.

I remember my first interaction with these “strange” words. I was in a teacher training and my teacher wanted us to remember them. I was unsure why. I have only recently since enticing a dropback realized that recognizing these layers, though I had not appreciated it at the time, has allowed me a vehicle to go deeper in my practice and into my-self.

You may wonder if I really believe that accomplishing a dropback will cater to reaching Atman. I know that the path is not that straight or black and white. Though it is also not as complex as I once thought either. It is. It just is.

I will continue to practice and grow and feel abundant gratitude for the layers I pierce. How important it is to mention that I was not able to do this work without work. I still have to do five poses to do Hanamanasana (splits) and my dropback happens at the end of my practice because it is then that I feel most connected to the power I possess.

Interestingly, I feel a rush somehow to attain more. However, no matter the feeling, I will be able to do what is purposed for me to do and attain. I only hurt my-self imagining any differently. I am contented by the purposeful movement surrounding me, and hope to create that in you as well. It is an idea that causes me to press to see what is around the corner, with and through body, energy, mental ability, wisdom, bliss and self, when I am allowed. Looking forward…

Sat Nam,

Courtney